Trials and Errors
by kitsieandmeow
Summary: Kakuzu, a brilliant defense lawyer, is sucked into the underworld after taking on new client, Jashin's Right Hand, Hidan. Will he escape and get back to his normal life or will he become what he defends: a cold hearted criminal?


Hey! This is rather old story that I felt like getting back into...well..really it's because I haven't written much in forever due to a string of events I won't bother to bore you with. So, long story short, I'm back. I haven't been on here in...forever...So this is really just to get back into the swing of things and to see if I can multi-task stories. I'm still writing A Whisper in the Mind, I did not just randomly give up on it I swear! Also...I don't really know if this will turn out to be a yaoi romance or not...I just don't know, I didn't have any particular plan for it..

What else do I need to say...hmm...Oh! The characters might be a little OOC, I tried not to but...stuff happens...and...oh yeah, I don't know much about the justice system, nor did I know whether I should use the Japanese one since the Narutoverse is pretty much set in Japan...so..if there are any mistakes like that, or really any mistakes in general, please point them out, I've recently learned I can edit chapters I've already uploaded...

And that was a long Author's Note...

Please enjoy the story~

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Kakuzu read through the file that had been sitting on his desk for days. 19 murders and that was only the ones the police knew about. Kakuzu massaged his temples. As a defense lawyer, he'd seen a lot of freaks and weirdos, he'd defended a lot of human trash, but this guy just took the cake. He seemed to be the definition of psychopath. But money was money.

Kakuzu dropped the file on his desk and leaned back in his chair. The guy had refused to hire a lawyer so he was assigned one. And no one in the firm but Kakuzu would work with him. Because money was money, dirty or clean. That was not to say he didn't feel sick about working with Jashin's Right Hand, that was the name the media gave Hidan, his new 'client'.

Hidan was the supposedly immortal serial killer with a dirty mouth and masochistic tendencies. He refused a lawyer saying he did it, the killings, for Jashin. He had also refused to talk to a therapist about Jashin but settled for hurling every curse and obscenity in the book at the girl. That didn't matter to Kakuzu, because money was money. It actually did matter to him, it made him sick to his stomach, but he would defend him anyway, probably aim to put him in an asylum, because no matter what; money was money.

-The Prison- 1st meeting with client-

Kakuzu could feel the scornful gaze of every person he passed burning into his back. He kept his eyes on the door at the end of the hallway. He tightened his grip on his briefcase and adjusted his mask with the other hand. He passed two detectives, Detective Hatake and Detective Uchiha. They were the lead detectives on the case. They followed him. He tried to ignore them.

The silver haired Hatake fell into step beside him while his partner followed, "Are you really going to try keep him out of jail? He confessed," he didn't sound angry, just inquiring.

"It's not like I _want _him to be free," Kakuzu muttered, "It's just my job. I'm going to try to put him in an asylum or a hospital. He would only get worse in jail."

Detective Uchiha snorted and ran a hand through his short black hair, "Can you believe this guy Kakashi? That bastard shouldn't go to jail or a hospital he should get the Death Penalty!"

Detective Hatake just sighed. Kakuzu glanced at the Uchiha and briefly wondered if there was any relation to the famous model Itachi. His thoughts turned back Hidan, the Uchiha was right. Maybe he should just the let the crazy fucker get the Death Penalty. Maybe he should just turn around and head back to the firm..

Kakuzu grasped the door handle and turned it. Too late now. _Money is money. _He told himself, but in the back of his mind another voice answered, _and that's all it is. _ Kakuzu just took a breath and walked through the door.

The first thing he saw was a white haired kid in a plain white shirt with his feet propped up on the table. Kakuzu felt his stomach turn, a kid. Probably only in his twenties. A kid was Jashin's Right Hand...a kid. Kakuzu turned to the detectives, "I need to speak to my client alone," and they left without a word.

The kid, Hidan, looked up, "Who the fuck are you?"

Kakuzu seated himself on the other end of the gray metal table in one of the uncomfortable aluminum folding chairs, "Your lawyer."

"I didn't ask for a fucking lawyer."

"Well, too bad," Kakuzu set his briefcase on the table and opened it.

"I don't care if I go to fucking prison, you're wasting your time Old Fuck," Hidan yawned, he didn't sound upset, just stating a fact.

"I'm putting you in a hospital for the criminally insane."

Hidan sneered, "You think I'm fucking crazy? Because I killed for Lord Jashin?"

"Yes you stupid bastard, and don't try to argue with me about the asylum or I'll bludgeon you with my briefcase," Kakuzu glared at him, daring him to try it.

Hidan gave him a funny look, then smiled and laughed, "I like you Old Fuck, you're more interesting to talk to than that pink-haired bitch!"

Kakuzu said nothing but pulled out some papers. After a minute of looking through them he shut his briefcase and folded his arms, "Doctor Haruno said you wouldn't to talk to her about Jashin. Why?"

"Why the fuck should I tell you?"

"Because I need to know, you ass, now tell me or I'll let you go to prison and you'll never be able to properly pray to Jashin again."

Hidan put his feet back on the floor and sat up, "You know about Lord Jashin, Old Fuck?"

"Yeah, but I'm asking why you wouldn't tell the doctor."

Hidan shrugged, "I just didn't want to talk to the bitch, she kept asking about my family and if they ever hurt me and stupid crap. Wouldn't drop it either even after I said I didn't remember my family that well. Some people are so fucking annoying, you know?"

"Tch, yeah," Kakuzu muttered under his breath. _Like you._

"Hey, what's with the mask Old Fuck? You think you're ugly or something?" Hidan peered at him curiously.

Kakuzu felt the soft cloth of his mask, "Bothers some people," he said quietly.

"What does?"

Kakuzu gently pulled his mask down, revealing his lips and the stitches that went with them. Hidan stared at them for a moment before frowning, "What the hell did you do to yourself Old Fuck? That looks fucking painful!" Hidan suddenly smiled, "You like pain?"

"No," he pulled his mask back up over his nose.

"So then what happened?"

Kakuzu was quiet for a minute, "Shit happens," he finally said, not willing to discuss his stitches with a total stranger, let alone anyone.

Hidan just smirked, "I like you _a lot_ fucking better than the dumb asses around here," he laughed again.

"This time you have to talk to the therapist," Kakuzu said, quickly getting back to business.

"Why the fuck do I-"

"So you can be deemed crazy and have a chance to go the hospital," Kakuzu rolled his eyes, "Are you stupid or something?"

"N-"

"That was a rhetorical question."

"Wha-"

"It means you're not supposed to answer."

"Oh.."

Kakuzu looked at him for a long minute. He was young. _How? _The pictures of the bodies the police took, the coroner's reports, all in his mind. Dead faces contorted as if they were still in pain, all of them, according to the reports, were tortured, and then Jashin's symbol, upside down triangle in a circle, drawn in blood at every crime scene. Sickening...

_How did a kid turn into this monster? _

Kakuzu continued to stare at Hidan, trying to think of what could've turned him into a killer. Such a monster.

Hidan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. It felt like Kakuzu's green eyes were searching him desperately for something. After a minute, the emerald orbs dropped to the papers on the table, unable to find whatever they had been looking for.

"Hidan?"

"What?"

"Did you care that your victims felt pain?" Kakuzu asked quietly. He was a cold hearted man himself, money came before everything. But even he could understand the suffering of another, he could feel another's pain. But did Hidan? Was he sociopath as well as a murderer?

"Yeah!" Hidan said cheerfully.

Kakuzu looked up from his papers, his eyes wide.

"I felt it too!" Hidan's smile widened, "Excruciating pain! Like ecstasy!" His eyes took on a mad look.

Kakuzu could only stare at him, "Do you like others' pain?" But Kakuzu didn't want to know, he wanted to get as a far away from freaks like him as possible. But- he could never do that, not now anyway, not as a defense lawyer..._Lawyers make good money..._

"_Our _pain," Hidan corrected gently.

"Our?"

Hidan rolled down his sleeve and showed Kakuzu the angry red gashes across his arms, "Each sacrifice, we shared the pain. I cut them and myself, it was _our _wonderful pain!"

"Where are the marks from the others?" Kakuzu asked seeing that the cuts had healed and no other scars were present.

"Healed up! These are from last night though, all the ones from the sacrifices are healed up," Hidan said fixing his sleeve.

"You've got to be lying," Kakuzu stated. There's no way he could just heal that fast.

"You too huh? Got something sharp? That dumbfuck detective didn't believe me either,"

Kakuzu adjusted his tie, "Hidan, it's nothing personal but- I don't give serial killers 'sharp things'. It's a kind of...a policy of mine."

Hidan rolled his eyes, "Yeah, whatever Old Fuck," he cracked his knuckles loudly.

Kakuzu stared at his hands. Hidan wasn't handcuffed, or restrained, or anything...

"Hidan, why didn't the police handcuff you?" he asked calmly.

"Huh?" Hidan looked at his hands, "Oh, yeah they did," he reached under his chair and Kakuzu heard the clink of metal, then Hidan dropped the cuffs on the table, "These fucking things were way too loose. You'd think those fuck-headed police would of realized I could slip out of them, but yeah, they didn't. Dumbasses."

Kakuzu said nothing but collected his papers and placed them back in his briefcase.

"See you later Hidan, remember to talk to the therapist," he said as he walked to the door.

Hidan scratched his head, "Where are you going Old Fuck?"

"I have paperwork to do, remember about the therapist."

"Yeah, okay," Hidan put his feet back on the table.

-Kakuzu's Office- One day later-

Kakuzu was looking through Hidan's file again. He had laid out the coroner's reports but not the photos, he couldn't bear to look at the victim's mutilated bodies anymore. He shook his head, "What

drove him to this?"

"Sounds like you want to know for reasons other than helping your case."

"Oh- Detective Hatake, I didn't hear you come in," Kakuzu stood up and offered him his hand.

Kakashi just shrugged, "No need to be formal Kakuzu, we've known each other for awhile."

"Tch. Yeah, you find the scum of the society and I try to keep them out of the prison they belong in," Kakuzu walked over to his closed window.

"They're getting rowdy out there."

"Hn," outside in front of the firm a crowd of people lined the streets, shouting and waving signs, police attempted to keep them back.

"Loud out there, they want blood," Kakashi remarked.

"I talked to Hidan, he said he 'shared' his victims pain," Kakuzu pulled down the blinds.

"He told us the same thing, pissed off Sasuke, had to pull him off," Kakashi leaned against his desk, "Kakuzu, why a defense lawyer? A job like this brings nothing but hate, you even know your clients are guilty but- you try anyway," yet again Kakashi didn't sound angry, he was just asking, just satisfying his curiosity.

"Makes good money," Kakuzu mumbled.

"There are other jobs that make good money. You could've been a doctor."

_A doctor... _"You're right," _I wanted to be a doctor... _"Too late now though," _Even went through medical school... _

"You're not dead yet, Kakuzu," Kakashi reminded him.

"But I'm on my way," _Highest marks...top of the class...guess I just didn't have what they were looking for..._

"Why did you come here Kakashi? The trial is in three days," Kakuzu turned around and folded his arms.

"Three days? Wow, I thought more time would be needed to prepare for the case, for both sides."

"More time _is _needed, but the judge is an... Look Kakashi, I'm busy as hell right now, what do you want?"

"Alright, I'll cut to the chase, last night Hidan stabbed himself multiple times in the heart."

"WHAT?" Kakuzu grabbed for his briefcase, "Is he alive?"

"That's the weird part, he is, he's in the hospital," Kakashi watched Kakuzu grab his coat and head to the door.

"Well? From the looks of things I'll need a police escort just to get out the door," Kakuzu slipped on his coat.

Kakashi was motionless for a second longer, "Kakuzu?"

"Hn?"

"You're not getting soft on me? Are you?"

"...Hurry up...time is money," _And suicidal clients aren't. _

-The Hospital- Room #235-

Hidan was sitting up in bed, he was bent over cradling his rosary whispering prayers to Jashin. The door burst open and Detective Uchiha Sasuke walked in, his red eyes glistening with hate, "Fucking freak. More of your damn religious crap huh?"

Hidan glanced up from his prayers for second, then went back to them.

"Your fucking lawyer thinks he can just send you to a mental hospital? Well, after what you've done you deserve a slow and painful death! Revenge for the people you've killed. Hey! Answer me!"

Hidan ignored him, his prayers were more important than listening to the detective's ranting.

"Hey! Can you hear me you bastard!" Sasuke clenched his fist.

Hidan finally looked up, his prayer finished. "Yeah I hear you asshole! Stop your bitching already," he set his rosary on his pillow and stretched his arms as much as his handcuffs would allow.

"I heard you tried to kill yourself last night, do you fear justice?" Sasuke smirked.

"It was a ritual for Lord Jashin," Hidan yawned, "you said something about slow and painful? Sounds good to me," Hidan returned a smirk.

"You fucking bastard-"

"That's enough detective. Step away from my client or I'll have you for harassment."

Sasuke turned around and almost collided with Kakuzu. The man wasn't much taller than him but when the piercing green eyes met with his red ones he backed down. Sasuke took a step toward the door but shot a glare at Kakuzu, "You'll regret ever taking this case old man, I'll make damn sure of that!"

"Hey now Sasuke, play nice," Kakashi stood outside the door in the hallway. Sasuke sneered and glanced at Kakuzu and Hidan one last time before letting his shoulders slump and slinking outside to stand next to Kakashi. Kakashi nodded at his silence, "Good boy, now let's get back to the station, there's evidence to review."

"Fucker confessed," Sasuke growled under his breath.

Kakashi ignored him but looked at Kakuzu, "See you in court then," he then led Sasuke down the hall.

Hidan started laughing after Kakuzu closed the door, "Oh fuck man! Did you see that Uchiha bastard? He was pissed! He looked like he was about to explode! Oh fuck..hahaha!" Hidan clutched his sides and fell backward on the bed.

Kakuzu gently massaged his temples, "Hidan..." his voice was low.

After a few deep breaths Hidan sat back up, "Yeah, Old Fuck?"

Kakuzu pulled the small stool in the corner over to Hidan's bed and sat down, "Hidan...why...What made you..." Kakuzu shook his head, "Oh...gah- fuck it. Why the hell did you stab yourself? Are you fucking stupid or something?"

Hidan rolled his eyes, "Shit, Old Fuck, you're starting to sound like the police. I told you about Jashin's sacrifices right?"

"Vaguely."

Hidan sighed, "Well since I can't go sacrifice anymore people at the moment, and I still have to please Lord Jashin, I had to sacrifice myself. It's not complicated."

Kakuzu was quiet for a long moment, "You stabbed yourself in the heart...and you're alive."

"Yep. ...What? It's what I usually do anyway... What's with that look? It was for Jashin!" Hidan tried to fold his arms but the handcuffs prevented him, so he settled for laying them at his side.

Kakuzu chose not to say any more. He just pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed loudly. Then he noticed Hidan's arms.

There was not a scar nor a scratch on them. Kakuzu grabbed his wrist and examined his arm closely. Hidan chuckled, "See? I told you I healed up fast. And you didn't believe me when I said I had healed since the sacrifices. Look, the cuts on my chest are almost fully healed too." Hidan pulled his hospital gown over his head pointed at his chest. The wounds were just about invisible.

Kakuzu got up and grabbed his briefcase and coat. He stood in front of the door and gave Hidan one last look, "All that crap about you being...Immortal..."

"True, well sorta of... To keep it I gotta please Lord Jashin. What's the matter Old Fuck? It's the truth," Hidan smiled at him.

"Bullshit."

Hidan didn't stop smiling even when Kakuzu hurried out the door.

-Kakuzu's House- Later that night-

49,000,000. That was a lot of cash. A lot of _easy _money. And he almost lost it. All because of that stupid idiot Hidan's weird ass religion. A sudden thought popped into Kakuzu's head, _who's paying for him? Hidan refused a lawyer, someone with the police had one assigned to him, but- that would come out of the department budget wouldn't it? And why would they even want him to have a lawyer from this firm? I mean, we've put a stop on hundreds of police investigations, getting people lower sentences... Bizarre but, I guess it doesn't matter...money is money._

The rest Kakuzu's night was spent eating take-out and preparing files and an argument to use in court. Normally he'd be iffy on trying out the Insanity Defense, but after his little chat with Hidan he was sure he was insane and that any reasonable person would see it too, but then again _people aren't reasonable... _

-The Prison's Hospital Ward- 2nd Official Meeting with client-

Kakuzu was dressed in a nice black suit with a black tie, and of course, his mask. He was standing by Hidan's bed patiently waiting for Hidan to finish murmuring prayers into his odd looking rosary. Apparently the guards couldn't get it away from him and gave up after three got knocked out. Kakuzu only cared because he was half certain Hidan would just slip out of his handcuffs again and strangle him with it. He was actually rather nervous, he could put a fight if he really wanted to, but he was a lot older Hidan, he wasn't entirely sure he could keep up with Hidan's energy if it really came down to it. He didn't let his nervousness show though, he was not the kind of man to allow others to know those things, also he was a lawyer.

Hidan finished and looked up, "What's up Old Fuck?"

Kakuzu just nodded to him, "Hn."

"You didn't come here just to say hi- Oh, well fuck me, if it isn't the Uchiha brat again," Hidan laughed as Detective Sasuke came inside and closed the door.

Sasuke winced at Hidan's laugh, he said nothing.

Kakuzu turned to him, "Detective, the conversations between my client and I are confidential. I must ask you to leave."

Sasuke shrugged, "I'm here to talk to you, actually."

Kakuzu raised an eyebrow, "About what?"

"Who hired you? You weren't assigned by the department, you were hired by someone acting on behalf of Hidan. So who is it?"

"That's confidential," _and a damn good question... _

The detective muttered something under his breath before turning to leave, "I'll find out soon enough...bastard.."

Once the door had been shut Kakuzu turned to look at Hidan, "Who did hire me?"

Hidan shrugged, "The boss? Fuck, I dunno."

"...who's "the boss" ?"

"Boss's name is- wait...I'm not supposed to tell you...never mind..."

There was a lengthy stretch of silence.

"Hidan..."

"Hm?"

Kakuzu leaned over, face just inches away from Hidan's, "Who. Is. Your. Boss?" he growled. This could cause serious problems for the case and even possibly Kakuzu himself.

Hidan just rolled his eyes, "Calm down Old Fuck. It's not like I know him really well, he's just the boss of our gang, his name is Pein."

"Pein?"

"Yup."

"Just Pein?"

"To the best of my knowledge, yes. Just Pein. Geez," Hidan huffed, "Why? Is it so important to know where your damn money comes from? You know greed is a sin right?"

Kakuzu was getting a migraine. So what if he cared just a little? He never cared before, is it so wrong to give just the tiniest damn about it now? And that's when a thought struck him; he really was giving more than just a tiny damn about things these past few days...from actually caring about the victims to lamenting his choice about becoming a lawyer... Maybe as Kakashi said, he really was going soft... The thought made him feel...odd...

Hidan looked up as his lawyer was leaving, "Where ya going Old Fuck?"

"...work..."

-Later that night at Kakuzu's house-

Work was an irritatingly necessary pain in the ass. But after it was done, it left Kakuzu with a bunch of extra work to do prior to the trial. He was lounging on his couch, trying to avoid looking at all the paper work filled with closing arguments and evidence and other crap that was splitting his head in two. He sat up suddenly and slapped his face; he'd forgotten to reschedule the appointment with the therapist for Hidan. Damn it. More work.

And that's when he heard the shattering of glass. He jumped to his feet, listening to the culprit stumble around in the kitchen. He crept in slowly, eyes adjusting to the dark. The person in the kitchen stopped moving around, having found their footing. Kakuzu's hand snaked along the wall, feeling for a light switch. With a flick of his fingers the kitchen was illuminated, and there stood-

"Hidan!"

Hidan was rubbing his eyes, "Fuck, why didn't you tell me you were gonna do that?"

Kakuzu sputtered and took a step back. Panic and fear, anger and confusion, but mostly confusion twisted around in his chest. "W-why are you? In my house...why? What?"

"Oh..yeah..I broke out of that hospital place and found out where you lived...can I stay here for awhile?"

"...Why the fuck would I let you do that?"

"Cuz you're my lawyer?"

"...that doesn't mean I like you..."

Hidan coughed a little, "Uh yeah...anyway...I'm staying here...sorry about your window..."

Kakuzu just closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Oh for fuck's sake... _He knew he couldn't call the police, either Hidan would stop him in some unpleasant way or Detective Uchiha would be an ass and try pin them together for conspiracy or something... This was just not his week.

"..Hidan..."

"Yeah?"

"Clean up the glass..."

"What? Uh..okay..."

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Hey again! How was it? I would love if you'd review! Since reviews are like power-ups for writers. And..I always forget what I wanted to say in these..uh..

Well I guess I'll just plead for reviews. Aside from encouraging me to keep writing, when something happens and I feel like I can't write anymore (such as broken computers) re-reading reviews and getting new ones give me the energy to keep writing! Like...power-ups really...

So..**Please Review! ** and I hope you enjoyed reading this!


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